Vermouth: More Than Just A Mixer

What Classy Liquor Are You Missing Out On?

For many people, the mention of the word “vermouth” sums up only one thing: the perfect martini, where a small amount of dry vermouth is used to counterbalance the effect of potent chilled gin. However, this “aromatized” wine (meaning fortified wine flavored by the addition of herbs and spices) has so much more to offer than its impressive turn in the world’s most famous cocktail.

Vermouth comes in two forms. Dry vermouth is associated with France, and sweet vermouth with Italy. Although it can be both red and white, all vermouth is made from white wines and the coloration comes from the legal addition of caramel.

Vermouth's history

Italian distiller Antonio Benedetto Carpono is widely credited with creating the first vermouth in 1786, when he blended white wine with herbs and named his new creation after a similar drink in Germany, which was infused with wormwood, for which the German word is “wermut.” The drink was a huge success, and soon began to be exported all over Europe where other countries began to make their own versions.

Although the original purpose of adding herbs and spices was to mask the poor quality of inferior wines or to disguise the fact they were past their prime, now vermouths are made to an exacting standard that has made them a favorite with mixologists everywhere. However, they are more than just a mixer, and in Europe, vermouth is often served straight over ice to be sipped as an aperitif.

Vermouth is also an exotic and excellent cooking wine to use in certain recipes. Read on for AM’s favorite vermouth cocktail recipes, and a few tricks to use vermouth in cooking.

Know your vermouth

But first, the brands. Here are the most common brands of vermouth that you can find at most liquor stores.

DRY VERMOUTH Noilly Prat (French) Dubonnet (French) Lillet (French)

SWEET VERMOUTH Cinzano Bianco (Italian) Carpano Punt E Mes (Italian)

Vermouth cocktail: Blood and Sand

This is one of the few recipes to successfully blend Scotch whisky into a cocktail.